Less CO2

In the Energy Report the cabinet supports a low-CO2 energy supply, which is safe, trustworthy and affordable.

In this context NOGEPA introduces the “Ladder of 7”, which makes what the best method to reduce CO2 is. In order: saving energy, making use of sustainable sources and green gas. Then comes the use of the Dutch natural gas. A choice which is more effective than importing foreign gas or the use of oil and coal.

Foreign gas?

Dutch gas is preferred over importing foreign gas, for example, from Russia. Our own gas is cleaner, cheaper and it makes our energy supply more independent from foreign countries. The state revenue can be used to invest in innovations in sustainable energy. For example, with the increasing of efficiency of solar power cells.

less co2:

ladder of 7

ladder of 7

Fact!

The Netherlands now has 250 gas fields

Fact!

The Groningen field is one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world

Fact!

98% of Dutch households are connected to natural gas

Fact!

A gas-fired plant is cleaner and produces more energy than a coal plant

Natural gas as accelerator of sustainability

The cabinet is certain that natural gas will play an important role in the transition towards a fully sustainable energy supply in 2050. At this moment we have 6% of generated sustainable energy. In 2023 this will be at 16%. This has been stipulated in the Energy-agreement. This means that we still need to get 84% of our energy from existing resources. Given that it is the cleanest fossil fuel, natural gas has the preference over oil and coal.

Gas by design

This certainly, if we target our own natural gas as a select energy source there where it is useful and necessary. This can be done, for example, through using natural gas in select situations rather than using it to heat homes and buildings. That is how 50% of energy from natural gas is currently being used. However, a temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius is enough to in order to heat homes. This can be done through locally generated energy such as biogas or geothermal energy. Natural gas on the other hand can provide temperatures of up to 1500 degrees, making it ideally suited for industries who require the use a lot of heat. For example, in the production of steel, aluminum, salt, chemicals or glass.

Clean Natural Gas?

As an example – the use of coal causes twice as much CO2 as the use of natural gas for the same amount of power generated.

Transport

We can reduce CO2 emissions by having more cars run on natural gas and using natural gas (LNG) as fuel for shipping, road transport and aviation. Incidentally, a large part of the reduction of CO2 in Europe over the last 15 years, is due to the use of natural gas as a substitute to more pollutant energy sources such as coal and lignite.

Back-up

Natural gas is an important fuel in our power plants. It is thereby a reliable backup for the days where we are able to generate less wind and/or sun energy. Thus, natural gas acts as an accelerator in the transition to a fully sustainable and CO2-free energy supply by 2050.